It was a tough call.

When Powell Valley Healthcare officials hired anesthesiologist Dr. Cory Pickens, they knew he was in recovery for abusing prescription medication.

They were then faced with the difficult decision about how or when to disclose details of his conviction for prescription drug fraud. They could either be completely forthcoming with the information when they announced Pickens’ hiring, or they could keep it quiet and give the new doctor and his family time to get adjusted to the community before releasing details about his past.

A Memorial Day ceremony will honor the life and sacrifice of 1st Lt. Shane Childers of Powell, who was the first American serviceman to die in the Iraq war.

The ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Park in Cody and will dedicate the nearby “Lt. Childers Street.”

Powell woman remembered for her love, faith

A horse accident claimed the life of Kim Asay on Wednesday afternoon. The 47-year-old Powell woman died doing what she loved — working with horses.

“She was the best horse trainer I know,” said Kanin Asay, her son. Looking at his younger brother, he adds, “Kaleb’s not far behind.”

Following a year of turnover and transition, it appears as though things are looking up for Powell Valley Healthcare. It’s been a year of ups and downs as the organization has undergone a number of major changes in leadership.

Former chief executive officer Rod Barton left the position in August, and in the months that followed, the organization saw an interim and a new CEO, a new chief financial officer, five newly-elected members of the seven-member Powell Hospital District Board of Trustees as well as several changes on the physicians’ staff.

Community raises nearly $40,000 for teen with rare condition

This weekend, exactly a year after graduating from Powell High School, Zach Wagner will travel to Arizona, where he will undergo brain surgery to treat a rare medical condition.

For the 19-year-old, the surgery culminates years of testing, wondering, worrying and chasing an elusive diagnosis to determine why he was suffering from seizure episodes.

As our neighbors in Idaho and Montana gear up for wolf hunts, hundreds of wolves roaming Wyoming remain on the endangered species list.

Idaho began selling wolf hunting tags May 5 — just a day after the predators were taken off the endangered species list in most states. Montana wildlife officials are looking to issue wolf hunting licenses beginning in August.

Raising and selling cattle in the Powell area got more complicated this week. As of Saturday, Powell and surrounding Park County areas are part of a “designated surveillance zone” for brucellosis, meaning more stringent requirements for testing and vaccinating cattle.

While adding the rest of Park County to the surveillance zone isn’t surprising, it’s a new headache for many. Livestock producers must properly identify all cattle before moving them out of the surveillance zone, which now adds all of eastern Park County to the Big Horn County line. Cows 12 months old or older must be tested for brucellosis 30 days before being sold or moved out of the DSA.

New boundary extends to Park-Big Horn County line; takes effect April 30

At the end of this week, all cattle in the Powell area will be part of an expanded brucellosis surveillance zone. For local producers, that will mean more stringent requirements for testing and identifying cattle. The new “designated surveillance area” boundaries take effect Saturday.

“It’s your cattle we’re trying to protect. We’re not trying to force something down your throat — we just don’t want to see brucellosis in your herd,” state veterinarian Jim Logan told about 60 area producers gathered at a Wednesday meeting in Powell.

Respondents identify transfer station as most urgent need; see golf course funding as low priority

A city of Powell survey shows the majority of residents think a landfill transfer is the most urgent issue facing the city.

Few Powell residents identify the Powell Golf Course as a top priority for special funding.

City leaders should consider residents’ survey responses in decision making

A couple of months ago, the city of Powell posed nine questions to residents and members of the local business community. In recent weeks, they received hundreds of answers.

Not only did 780 residents respond to the nine written questions, many filled the margins of the survey with handwritten comments — dozens upon dozens.